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There’s nothing worse than having to part with your favorite blouse because it simply looks like it’s seen better days. But by the same token, it’s also not a good look to be wearing clothes that clearly look like they’ve seen better days.

In an effort to keep clothes looking fresh and new as long as possible, here are a few quick tips that I’ve found helpful over the years:

Dry clean delicates: While it can at times be tempting to try to wash a delicate item yourself, it really never ends well that way. I’d highly recommend letting the experts do what they do best and taking your nice pieces to the dry cleaners.

Wash denim sparingly: This might sound gross to some, but I try to only wash my jeans when they need to be shrunken and/or have gotten visibly dirty. They maintain their wash far longer if you try to wash them as sparingly as possible.

Spot treat instead of doing a full wash: If and when I spill something small on denim, for instance, I’ll always attempt a spot treatment before throwing them in the hamper. With a little elbow grease, the spot usually comes right out.

Choose your laundry products wisely: I learned the hard way that fabric softener is noooo good for your clothes—well, if you want to keep them feeling crisp, that is. Some detergents have fabric softener included in the formula, so be sure you read the label carefully before picking up your next bottle.

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As someone who loves nothing more than to adventure on weekends, settling into the cold reality of winter can be tough. It’s bad enough having to venture out into the rain on a workday, but to wake up to it on a weekend can be crushing. To cheer myself up and ensure that I’m just as fulfilled during winter as I am during the warmer months, I created a list of weekend activities that can be done regardless of the weather. Hope you find it helpful, too!

Make a big pot of chili or soup

Visit a museum

See a movie, or even two (I’ve been known to spend all day in the movie theater come Oscars season)

Stay in pajamas while organizing the house

Watch back-to-back episodes of Friends on the couch

Treat yourself to a spa day

Invite friends over for a night in

Order food to-go from your favorite restaurant and enjoy it in the warmth of your own home

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Remember when I shared one of my core organizing rules that everything must have a home? Well, sometimes that home needs to be customized depending on the season, and that’s totally ok!

Since I’m constantly reaching for warm accessories these days—think mittens, scarves, beanies, and the like— I decided to make a dedicated spot in my closet to keep them all within arm’s reach. While I usually use the hooks in this closet to plan out my outfits for the week, I conveniently have another set in my other closet that I’ve been using for that very same purpose. With the hooks in this closet now freed up, I’ve been loving being able to easily grab some warm winter accessories whenever I may need them.

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There’s something about cold weather that makes me crave all things chocolate—from hot chocolate to brownies. This past weekend, I gave into this craving and picked up a box of brownie mix from the grocery store. To take it up a notch, I added some chocolate chips and finished with raspberries.

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A few days ago, I lived my dream day and I am so excited to be sitting down now to tell you all about. Why was it so dreamy? Well, it involved playing around in the most beautifully organized and constructed closets with California Closets. Need I say more?

When I found out they opened a brand new showroom in Burlingame, I had to go check it out—and let me tell you, it was well worth the visit. Not only is the surrounding neighborhood so cute (we’ll get to that later in the blog post, don’t you worry), but the showroom itself was so inspiring.

I probably could have stayed in the showroom for hours on end because there was just so much to take in. From media centers to closets, this place had it all. When I say I touched and analyzed just about every corner in the showroom, I am not exaggerating. And while it was all incredible, some of the highlights for me were:

The “Tiffany” closet, with its pretty turquoise walls and frosted glass cabinets.

The woven textured finish on the walls of their biggest closet installation. That, coupled with the mirrors and sleek nobs, was a real winner in my book.

The interactive design studio where you can project a 3D rendering of your space and interact with it—how cool!

The finishes wall with boards imported from Italy.

After playing around with every detail in the showroom (case in point up top) and getting allllll of the inspiration for my future custom closet, I ventured out into the neighborhood to explore. The showroom is located right in the thick of it all—there are tons of shops and restaurants to pop into.

I had the most delicious lunch from Limon Rotisserie and made the prettiest bouquet at Fiori. There was so much more I wanted to explore, so I will definitely be back!

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I’m such a sucker for a good “top 5” list—whether it’s about beauty or cleaning or cooking, I am exponentially more likely to click on something when I know it will be broken down into bite-sized chunks. Hopefully you’re like me in that sense and will therefore enjoy what I’ve put together below: the top 5 organizing rules, according to moi.

Rule 1: Everything in its place. In order for your home to be as organized as it can be, you need to make sure that everything has a place at the end of the day.

Rule 2: Put things away in the moment. So often, friends and clients tell me that organizing is not in their DNA and they’ve come to accept that they’ll always have piles of clothes in their bedrooms. My answer? Try putting things away in the moment so you never build a pile! Even though it may add five minutes to your getting ready routine, I promise it will be worth it.

Rule 3: Cleanse and edit often. We all have a tendency to collect things over time, which is totally fine so long as you make it a point to regularly review all that you have. For instance, I do a closet purge roughly twice a year during which I review everything that I have and pick pieces out for donation or selling.

Rule 4: Group items by type. While this rule may be most easily understood in the context of a closet, it applies to every room in the house. Simply by organizing by like items (ie: jeans with all other jeans, books with all other books in the living room, meats will all other meats in the refrigerator), your home will appear instantly more organized.

Rule 5: Create a routine that works for you. All of us are unique in our own ways, and that directly carries over into our organizing habits. Because of this, don’t try to force someone else’s routine onto you just because it works for them. Instead, develop a plan that is personalized to you and your schedule. After all, if you come up with a plan that works, you’ll stick with it!